GRAFT CASE FILED IN 1991
HC order on Ershad May 9
STAFF REPORTER
The High Court (HC) yesterday fixed May 9 for delivering its verdict on three separate appeals in a 25-year-old corruption case against former president and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad.
The HC bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty fixed the date after concluding hearing on the appeals yesterday.
Among the appeals, one was filed by Ershad seeking acquittal in the case as a lower court had sentenced him to three years imprisonment in the case in 1992.
The two other appeals were filed by the government for enhancing the punishment of Ershad.
Earlier, on March 27 thisyear, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha assigned the HC bench to hear the three separate appeals. The Jatiya Party chairman is accused in a case filed with the Cantonment Police Station on January 8, 1991 for misappropriating over Tk1.91crore.
On February 3, 1992, a Dhaka court sentenced Ershad to three years imprisonment and ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate the money and his Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle for committing corruption.
Ershad had filed an appeal with the HC the same year challenging the lower court judgment. Following the appeal, the HC stayed the lower court verdict. The ACC on February 26 in 2012 became a party to the case obtaining the HC permission.
Ershad had obtained a bail from the HC in the case after serving three years in jail.
